Refrigerating apparatus



F. E. DENNISON ET AL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS July 29, 1930.

Filed July- 21. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jllly 29, 1930. F. E. DENNlsoN ET AL 1,771,527

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed July 21, 1926 2 Sheets-sheet 2 Ietenite-d July 32,9,

` UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE FRENCH E. DENNISON AND WARD S. IRELAND, OF BELOIT, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNORB TO NATIONAL REFRIGERATION CORPORATION, 0F BELOIT, WISCONSIN, A CORPORA- TION OF DELAWARE REFRIGERATIN G APPARATUS Application led July 21,

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a vrefrigerating unit which is particularly adapted for use as an expansion element in a mechanical refrigerating system.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved novel form of refrigerating unit in which a maximum radiation and conduction surface is provided, and at the same time may be used as a shelf for storage purposes.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing construction andV arrangement of the various parts in the manner'hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim. I

Referring to drawing, Fig. 1, is a vertical cross-sectional view of display counter showing our refrigerating unit mounted therein.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. 1

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5 5 in Fig. 2. l

In illustrating one embodiment of our invention,-we have shown the same in connection with a conventional form of display counter, which comprises a frame or casing generally referred to by the reference character 10. This frame or casing comprises a base 11 and vertically extending side-walls 12 and 13 and top 14. The display counter 10 is provided with a transparent glass front (not shown) and a rear wall 15, which is provided with suitable door 16 of any wellknown construction. The side walls, top and bottom of the casing 1() is provided with a metallic linin 17. Positioned between the inner lining 1 and the outer walls, bottom and top thereof, is a suitable heat insulating material 18 of any well-known construction.

One of the essential features of our invention is the provision of a refrigerating unitwhich is adapted for use in connection with a mechanical refrigerating apparatus, in which the refrigerating unit forms the ex- 1926. Serial N0. 123,993.

pansion device, and at the same time serves as a shelf for storage purposes, or in other forms of my invention serves as-the inner lining or inner wall of the casing. For the purpose of illustration we have shown one form of our invention which comprises a relatively thin, flat metal sheet 19 positioned and secured'to a second sheet of metal 20 in sheet of metal 19. so as to form between the two lsheets 19 and 2O a relativelythin chamber 22. The sheets of metal forming the casing of our improved refrigerating unit are preferably secured together by spot-welding the two sheets together at each of the pointsl of indentations 21, or by other suitable means. The edges of the casing or sheet metal, 19 and 20, as shown at 23, are secured together by soldering or by seam welding so as to completely seal the chamber between these two members. The refrigerant is suppliedv to our improved form of refrigerating unit through a suitable conduit 24, which communicates with the expansion valve at one end and communicates with the chamber 22 at the vother end. The refrigerant is discharged from the unit through two suitable conduits 25, which are connected to and communicating with the chamber 22 at the lower end of the unit. In the drawings, we have shown for the purpose of illustration, our improved units mounted on the opposite ends of the display casing and separately connected to the refrigerating apparatus. It will, of course, be understood that these units may be extended around the walls of the casing as well as the top and bottom thereof, and may be connected together so that a single con- The sheets 19- and m duit leading from the expansion valve could supply refrigerant to the unit. In such a construction the refrigeration unit would form'.

the complete inner lining or inner wall of the casing lO and entirely eliminate the metal lining 17 shown in the drawings.

In another form of our invention, we have shown the same as comprising two longitudinally extending flat metal plates 26 and 27. These plates 26 and 27 are provided with a plurality of transversely extending slots or openings therethrough as shown at 28. These plates 26 and 27 have the edges adjacent these slots rolled inwardly toward each other, and are preferably soldered or seam-welded as shown at 29. 'Ihe lower plate 27 is provided with a plurality of spaced-apart indentav tions 30 between each of the transversely extending slots 28which normally contact with the plate 26 so as to hold the main body portion of the plate 27 in spaced relation vwith respect to the other plate, forming substantially a chamber 3l` between these plates.

. The perimeters of the plates 26 and 27 are soldered or seam-welded, as shown at 32, so as to completely seal the chamber therebetween. The re'frigerating unit formed by the sheet metal plates 26 and 27 is mounted on suitable supporting members or angle strips 33 and 34, which are secured to the side plates 19, thereby forming a shelf within t-he casing as clearly shown in Fig. l. The refrigerant is suppliedto the chamber 3l between the plates or casing 26 and 27 by a supply conduit 35, which has one end connected to the expansion valve and the other end thereof communicating with the chamber 3l at a point substantially midway between the ends of the unit. The refrigerant is discharged from the unit by suitable conduits 36, which communicate with the chamber 31 of the unit at points adjacent its opposite ends. By providing transversely extending slots 28 in the refrigerating unit 'forming the shelf in the easing, we have not only reinforced and vstrengthened this unit so as to permit it to support considerable weight for storage purposes, but have also provided these openings which permit a free circulation of the cold air throughout the casing. It will also be seen that by arranging the expansion unit in Ithe form of support-ing shelves, side walls or inner lining for the top and-bottom of the casing, that we have provided a maximum amount of conduction and radiation surface, but at the same time reduces the amount of cubic volume normally occupied by these units in the refrigerating apparatus hereto- 'fore used.

While we have shown and described our improved refrigerating unit in this modified form, in which it is used as a shelf for storage purposes separately connected up with refrigerating apparatus, it will, of course, be

struction of an expansion evice of the'form herein described in which the refrigerant is spread over a wide area of reduced cross section, the refrigerant must travel at a greater speed as compared with the speed at which the refrigerant travels in the conventional form of expansion coil or pipe commonly used. This, of course, is assuming that the same amount of refrigerant fluid is passing through both devices. lVith our present construction as above described we increase the rate of transfer of heat from the storage casing to the inside of the expansion unit and thereby make the same more efficient as compared with the pipe expansion coil of large cross section now in use. In the pipe construction it is apparent that a large amount of expanding gas pas/ses on through in the center of the pipe without coming in direct contact with the heat transfer surface; when the gas contacting with the inner surface of the pipe has absorbed its quota of heat, it not only forms a barrier to the cold gas wlthin 1t but rises in temperature and thereby reduces the temperature difference between the outside and inside of the pipe wall, thus reducing the speed of the transfer of heat and the cfli ciency of the expansion coil.

While in the above specifications we have described one| embodiment which our invention may assume in practice, it will, of course, be understood that the same is capable o'f modification and that modification maybe employed without departing from the sp1r1t and scope of the invention as expressed 1n the following claim.

l/Vhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In combination with a refrigerating storage casing, a refrigerating unit mounted in said casing to form a shelf therein, said unit signatures. i

FRENCH E. DENNISON. WARD S. IRELAND.

understood that the same may be connected 

